Why it matters: Mace has been positioning herself as the chief antagonist to Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the state's newly elected congresswoman and the first openly transgender member of Congress. Mace's efforts in November culminated in House Speaker ...

"It defies understanding, except for the fact that it's a pretty obvious part of a politics of misdirection and distraction," McBride said of Republicans' proposed federal anti-trans legislation.

The first openly transgender lawmaker exclusively tells The Independent that Republicans’ prioritization of the legislation leaves her “mystified that this is a priority” for the GOP.

Congresswoman Sarah McBride, a history-making Democrat from Delaware, was sworn in Friday afternoon as the first out transgender member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Representing Delaware’s At-Large Congressional District,